The instant invention relates to toy games and more particularly to a descending ball game apparatus of the type including a ball and a plurality of downwardly sloped channel members which are interconnected by a plurality of columns.
Descending ball game apparatus in which balls gravitate downwardly along continuous paths are well known in the art. For example, the Cook U.S. Pats. No. 2,729,914; Morse No. 2,838,870; Wichman et al No. 4,713,038; Klitsner No. 4,932,917 and the British Patent to Karen No. 1,405,105 disclose various types and configurations of unitary and modular descending ball game apparatus.
It has been found that modular descending ball game apparatus have a particularly high play value because they are enjoyable to assemble in various configurations, and further because they are enjoyable to watch as the balls thereof descend through the columns and channels thereof. However, it has been found that one shortcoming in many of the prior art game devices resides in the fact the balls thereof travel along paths at a very rapid pace, and that the balls must be continually restarted for observers gain further enjoyment. In order to increase the play value of the heretofore available descending ball game apparatus various channel configurations have been developed which either lengthen the paths of balls, or provide increased action movements of balls thereby lengthening the time it takes for balls to descend through the game apparatus. In this regard, the Karen U.S. Pat. Nos. Des.230,291; and Wichman Nos. Des.290,026; Des.290,028; Des.290,143; Des.290,145; Des.293,696; Des.294,044; and Des.294,959 disclose several designs of representative channel sections which, in addition to the other hereinabove cited patent documents, represent the closest prior art to the subject invention of which the applicant is aware. Thus, it has been found that by slowing down the speed of a descending ball of a game apparatus of this type and by providing increased action movements of the ball the ability of a device of this type to provide significant visual amusement for a prolonged period of time is substantially increased.